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PODCAST

Fish University

Mississippi State University

Fish University is a science-based podcast covering the latest research in fish management from the small pond to the vast ocean. This podcast is part of a larger podcast network: Natural Resources University, funded by the Renewable Resources Extension Act.

science life sciences

All Episodes

51:44

Return to the Little Red River | Ep 30

Fish University ·

2025/09/10

The Little Red River is a unique fishery hidden in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas that boasts a world class trout fishery and some unique angling opportunities. The Greers Ferry Dam releases deep, cold water that supports stocked and naturalized trout in the river below. About 30 miles from the cold-water release, the river begins to transition from cold to warm water, and a variety of unique fishing opportunities have developed. Wes asked Dr. Steve Lochmann to return to Fish University and

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54:57

Island Fish | Ep 30

Fish University ·

2025/07/31

How do fish colonize newly formed island streams? How do fish get above a 200-foot waterfall? Answers to these questions and more on this episode of Fish University. Wes sits down for a conversation with Dr. Gus Engman from the University of Tennessee about island fish and the threats that they face. They also talk about their new book and how you can get a digital copy absolutely free! So, join us, won’t you? Do you have questions or comments? Follow the Fish University Facebook community and chat

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52:14

Slippery Slope to Slime | Ep 29

Fish University ·

2025/06/18

The word “jellyfish” may bring up a memory of an unpleasant beach experience, or of nostalgic childhood days watching Spongebob Squarepants. Often jellyfish don’t get the love that many other marine critters enjoy, but Spongebob certainly loved them, as fishing for jellyfish was his favorite pastime. Although jellyfish can be a nuisance and a hazard, they are an important component of marine ecosystems. Their lifecycle is fascinating, and their survival instinct is impressive. On this episode of

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01:04:56

Big Rivers (with guest, Dr. Mike Eggleton) | Ep 28

Fish University ·

2025/05/21

The central United States is known for its big rivers. From the mighty Mississippi to its tributaries that include the Missouri, Ohio, and Arkansas River, these large rivers drain about 41% of the U.S. including 31 states. They are important for our economy as corridors for transportation, and they are important as recreational fisheries. But they are facing many threats. From river modification, to urbanization, to invasive species, to changing precipitation patterns, these rivers aren’t the same

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01:05:50

United States of Aquarium (with Mike Sandel and Tobin...

Fish University ·

2025/04/09

We are homogenizing our animal communities. You can hunt Nilgai in south Texas Reticulated Pythons in Florida, and wild pigs just about anywhere. But did you know things are often worse in the aquatic world? It is true that we have released just about every species discovered into our waterways, and many have taken hold. Some were intentional and part of legal government management, some were accidental, but many are the result of just concerned pet owners that can’t keep Nemo but want to give him a

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56:04

Managing Mid-Size Lakes (with guest, Hayden Funk) |...

Fish University ·

2024/12/18

Fisheries managers have a wealth of information available on how to manage small ponds, and there has been substantial research directed at managing large reservoirs that impound substantial rivers. However, there is a scarcity of information on reservoirs that are too big to be ponds and too small to be major reservoirs. These mid-size systems appear to be biologically distinct from their larger and smaller cousins. In this episode, Wes discusses these intermediate systems with biologist Hayden

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57:17

Managing a Deep Valley Lake (with guest, Jeffrey...

Fish University ·

2024/11/27

We have scientifically proven approaches to lake and pond management, but there is always an element of art involved. Every lake is different. There is always something just a little odd that needs to be considered or a unique issue that must be addressed, and some lakes are just simply “problem lakes”. In this episode, we take an in-depth look at a lake that fits this description. This is a lake built in a deep erosion valley of the Mississippi River escarpment that has faced watershed issues,

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55:34

BassForecast | Ep 24

Fish University ·

2024/10/23

Fishing has become a game of technology. Some of it is finding fish, like with GPS and sonar, and some of it is catching fish, like electronic lures and synthetic scents. But there’s tool in the bass fishing word that is engineered to help you decide when and how to fish. The application is called BassForecast and it is the #1 bass fishing app in the world, boasting about 1 million subscribers. Research on BassForecast suggests that its fishing predictions can significantly increase the likelihood

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01:03:32

Making Money from Ponds | Ep 23

Fish University ·

2024/08/20

Do you own a property rich in ponds or a small lake? Do you want to make money off those resources? If so, this episode is for you. Wes chats with Dr. Daryl Jones, Professor at Mississippi State University and leader of the Natural Resources Enterprise Program. They discuss what type of person it takes to run such a business, the potential opportunities a landowner might consider, and the legal and business side of making money from water. Grab a notebook and your laptop, because Fish University

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58:24

Pond Management 101 | Ep 22

Fish University ·

2024/07/17

Are you thinking of building a pond or are managing an existing pond? In this episode, Wes presents his crash course in pond management. Learn about the best approaches for recreational fishing ponds from construction to stocking to fish management, and even adjusting water quality to maximum fish health and trophy production. We’ll start with the three golden rules and build on them with examples from Wes’s years of pond management Extension experience. Do you have questions or comments

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49:06

Invasive Carp | Ep 21

Fish University ·

2024/06/19

You have surely heard of the flying carp that invaded our larger rivers. Videos of water skiers dressed up like gladiators and armed with dip nets pulled at 30 mph are ubiquitous on the internet. In this episode of Fish University, Wes talks to the leading expert on the invasive carps from Asia, Mr. Duane Chapman. We talk the history, biology, movement, control, and even a recipe or two. Duane shares stories from his decades working on these species, including the time he and colleagues captured

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01:01:28

Lake Deanna – Pushing the Envelope | Ep 20

Fish University ·

2024/05/16

In Western Missouri there is a lake that doesn’t follow the standard private pond formula. Lake Deanna is a larger private lake with unique habitat, unusual depth, and an experimental fish community. The deep lake has been stocked with largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, and sunfish. Bluegill and Redear Sunfish are already pushing a pound, and bass have exceeded 8 pounds in just 4 years! However, the lake is not without its issues. In this episode, Wes discusses Lake Deanna with the Pond Boss,

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54:48

Trees are for Fish | Ep 19

Fish University ·

2024/04/17

Anglers know that many fish species depend on the structure that trees provide. Habitat, such as standing timber, blow downs, snags, and cypress trees are popular places to fish in lakes and streams. But what about when the river leaves the riverbed and enters the bottomland forest? It turns out that this “flooded forest” habitat is critical for many fish species. Most lowland rivers used to seasonally flood into the surrounding forests, which could remain inundated for months at a time. These areas

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01:04:37

Managing Fishponds for Ducks | Ep 18

Fish University ·

2024/03/06

This episode quacks me up. Fisheries management to produce quality fishing often requires actions that are counterproductive to attracting migratory ducks and vice versa. But in this episode, we’ll talk about some ways that you might be able to have the best of both worlds. Wes sits down with two leading experts in the duck realm, and they brainstorm on what can be done to bring more ducks to a small pond without necessarily hurting fishing opportunities. Any you’ll receive wonderful egg-splanantion

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56:27

All Female Bass Lakes | Ep 17

Fish University ·

2024/02/07

Have you ever noticed that when someone catches a big largemouth or Florida bass, like a double-digit bass, they refer to it as “she”, “her”, or “big girl”? That is because female bass get larger than male bass, and you’ll never catch a male that big. In a normal population, half the population is male, so only the female half will have trophy potential. But we can change this dynamic if we only stock the lady bass. In this episode, Wes and Senior Fisheries Biologist Tim Bonvechio discuss the

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55:55

Snakeheads! | Ep 16

Fish University ·

2024/01/03

Hide your dog, hide your kids, stay indoors! Monster fish are taking over! Well, not quite. In this episode, Wes talks with the biologist who was at ground zero of the Northern Snakehead (Channa argus) invasion in Virginia. John Odenkirk tells the story of the first detection, subsequent expansion, and the system-level impacts that snakehead fish have had in the two decades since they were first detected. Join us and learn about the real and perceived issues with this fish, and about how they

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56:03

Aquatic Plant Management | Ep 15

Fish University ·

2023/12/06

Every water body has them. Plants. Sometimes they’re good, like phytoplankton that for the base of the food chain or a patch of American Pondweed that holds a 10-pound bass. Sometimes they are bad, like Naiad that blocks your boat ramp. And sometimes they are just plain ugly, like Giant Salvinia that suffocates waterways with mats that might be 3 feet thick. In this episode, Wes and his guest, Dr. Gray Turnage, discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of aquatic plants. Don’t miss this discussion,

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01:07:54

How Fish Work | Ep 14

Fish University ·

2023/11/01

Living in a water world comes with challenges that are markedly different than those we air breathers face, and fish have developed unique and creative ways to face these challenges. Understanding fish biology and physiology is not only interesting, but also useful to us fish-loving air breathers. It doesn’t matter if you are an aquarist, and angler, a pond manager, or a researcher, a greater understanding of why fish are the way they are will make you better at your fish-loving pursuits. In this

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56:51

Extreme Desert Fishes | Ep 13

Fish University ·

2023/10/04

Deep in the Sonoran Desert are various fish species that survive in the harshest of conditions. These extremophiles often live in water that is often much saltier than seawater, much hotter than a jacuzzi, much faster than a freight train, and with little or no oxygen. Where did they come from? How do they survive? What is their future? Wes chats with desert fish expert Dr. Scott Bonar of the University of Arizona to answer these and many more questions. So, grab a tall glass of water and your

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59:47

So Many Bass! | Ep 12

Fish University ·

2023/09/06

If you like to fish, you have probably caught Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass, and maybe you have caught Spotted Bass. But if you are on a quest to catch all the Black Bass (Micropterus spp.), you have a long way to go. In this episode, Wes chats with Steve Sammons, a researcher from Auburn University who has worked with many of the bass species. They’ll discuss the 14 described species of bass and where they can be found, as well as talk about 5 more potential species that may soon be

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